Wednesday, 29 June 2016

The trailer of the much-anticipated filmActor in Lawis finally out and it has all the elements of a“social comedy.”

The “story of real and fake” shows the lead actor Fahad Mustafa as an aspiring actor Shan Mirza, who after facing restrictions from his father, played by Om Puri, takes up the role of a lawyer but continues to channel his inner talent.

His character apparently draws inspiration from Quaid-e-Azam, who himself wanted to be an actor but ended up as a lawyer.

From then on, Fahad showcases his acting skills in the courtroom by delivering some famous dialogues.

What left us in fits of laughter was “Tight Karain Issay”that was indeed a play on Ayesha Sana’s claim to fame “Bright Karain Issay.”

Mehwish Hayat can be seen as a journalist who is apparently playing the love interest of Fahad.

Alyy Khan seems to be taking a dig at the famous TV anchor Mubashir Lucman with his character Muddasir Sultan.

With a glimpse of Ayyan Ali and the film touching the sensitive topic of minorities, Nabeel Qureshi’s directorial seems to be up to date on current affairs.

Actor in Lawhowever, takes a dramatic turn when Shan Mirza is exposed and proved to be a criminal.

But what makes him a criminal is yet to be known and for that, we can’t wait to watch the film.

Produced by Fizza Ali Meerza, the upcoming film is slated to release this Eidul Azha.

Monday, 27 June 2016

Is Mehwish Hayat a TV reporter? Is Fahad Mustafa a celebrity? Is Om Puri his lawyer? Sadly, we can only make sense of what we see in the first look as the filmmakers refuse to delve into any details of the film.

Director Nabeel Qureshi and producer Fiza Ali Meerza, have been tight-lipped about the story of their film, however, Mehwish Hayat said that film is "a social comedy" and "has emotions, love and plenty of surprises." And Puri revealed that the film's title is a give-away: the film explores the idea that actors have some things in common with lawyers.

We're not the only ones who are stirring in our seats in anticipation for the film, fans are just as eager.

A gloomy Om Puri and a glamorous Fahad Mustafa are all it takes to get people talking, and the first look ofActor In Lawdoes just that.

Umbrella in hand, the Bollywood actor looks nothing short of sad, and under his umbrella are Fahad Mustafa and Mehwish Hayat who are all smiles. This leaves us guessing the roles these actors are going to be playing in the upcoming film.

Saturday, 11 June 2016

KARACHI: Mehreen Jabbar is one of the very few directors who have had a massive influence on the nascent Pakistani film industry. Her shoulders may have been burdened with great expectations, being the daughter of Javed Jabbar, Mehreen did not fail to impress with her highly-acclaimed feature film debut,Ramchand Pakistani. Eight years on, her second filmDobara Phir Se(DBS) was slated to grace screens on Eidul Fitr, however, it seems the film’s post-production is taking longer than expected.

“We are planning to release it now in August, but are yet to make an official announcement,” Mehreen toldThe Express Tribune. While a cast member, requesting anonymity, stated otherwise, Mehreen said they had no plans to release the film on Eid. “Eid release dates had never been announced in the first place. The post-production is still in progress.”

Without disclosing details regarding factors that caused the delay,ARYDigital Network Vice President Marketing Asfand Yar said, “There is no Eid release, but we definitely plan to release it later this year.”

Mehreen remains optimistic about the movie, and is positive that it will be a box office success. However, one is forced to wonder why no promotional campaigns have been initiated for the film as yet. “The promotions will commence towards the end of the month and we are hoping to create a good buzz around the film,” said Mehreen. “Which film-maker wouldn’t want his/her film to succeed commercially? I, along with the cast, the film crew and the producers would want DBS to be appreciated, and do really well.”

Mehreen said the film is about the unlikely love story of soul mates that just can’t seem to be in the right place at the right time for the right reasons. “It’s about relationships, friendships and finding one’s way in life.”

Veteran actor Atiqa Odho essays the role of a mother and a mother-in-law in DBS. She and Mehreen have come a long way since they worked together on the latter’s dramaHarjai. “Mehreen is not driven by commercial cinema. She likes to show the story the way she wants to tell it, without adding unnecessary masala,” Atiqa said about her director. “She likes to keep the flavour intact by depicting reality-based situations … there are real life scenarios sans exaggeration.”

Commenting on the dismal state of the film industry and comparing it with its Indian counterpart, Atiqa said, “It’s a sad state of affairs and I am certainly not proud to say that a so-called ‘cinema revival’ has taken place. In India, film-making is a massive industry supporting the household of every individual associated with it. This is a trade and the government needs to promote it.”

She added that the business of story-telling in Pakistan has great potential, which if used productively, can make the entire industry prosper.

Starring Atiqa, Sanam Saeed, Tooba Siddiqi, Hareem Farooq, Ali Kazmi and Adeel Hussain in prominent roles, DBS has primarily been shot in New York. The movie had gathered immense hype following the official poster and first look releases a few months ago.

LAHORE: While many films have already wrapped post-production and are awaiting the Eidul Fitr festival weekend to hit screens, a number of local films have been stalled in Lahore following the start of Ramazan. Thanks to rising temperatures, film-makers have been forced to sit still and push releases back.

Moammar Rana’sSikanderis the first film to hit the rocks. In the midst of being shot in Lahore, the director decided to halt the filming and resume activities after Ramazan. Lollywood veteran Syed Noor was also shooting for his upcoming film at Evernew Studios and was forced to pack up. Asif Sheikh commenced the shooting of his project,Uff Ye Saalyian, a couple of days ago, but he too, backslid his decision.

Film-maker Pervaiz Rana had also earmarked Eidul Fitr for his filmFaisla Gujjer Da. However, he realised this was never going to work out. When approached, he had different reasons to give.

“My team is not a part of this Eidul Fitr race. I stopped the shooting of my film because it is not possible for it to happen during Ramazan. Often it happens that films that are scheduled to be released on Eid continue shooting, while others are halted,” he said, adding, “I did not continue the filming of my project because I prefer to take rest at home and not risk my health.”

While too many films already lining up at the box office might have put Pervaiz off, many film-makers are also facing an uphill task getting actors to follow schedules during the holy month. “After returning to Pakistan, I was busy performing in theatre and also performed in other cities of Punjab but during this holy month I will not do any work. I stop working completely in Ramazan. I will now perform in Eidul Fitr shows only,” said stage actor Nargis.

On the other hand, it seems nothing has slowed down Pashto films as currently a number of movies are being shot in the northern areas of the country.

Ramazan festivity also slows down activity at movie theatres that have already been padlocked for the duration of the month. Many cinema-owners are making use of the opportunity and renovating their theatres, readying them for Eid.

Nevertheless, it is pertinent to mention that two Lahore-based productions,Blind LoveandSawaal 700 Crore Dollar Ka are among the movies that will battle it out on the approaching festival.